Where the noise did not reach

Chapter 45 Feast
The moment the basketball pierced the net, the entire Georgia Dome seemed to stop beating, then erupted in a deafening roar. The sound was no longer just cheers; it was more like an invisible tsunami, instantly engulfing Florida's blue and orange hues in a sea of ​​Texas Tech's red and black.

Xu Ling didn't celebrate. He just stood there quietly, watching the net bloom in the air like a flower. The shooting form was so bizarre that even he himself couldn't replicate it, yet it undeniably determined the outcome of the game. He felt his body being drained by a tremendous force, and then he was tackled to the ground by his teammates.

Prince, Jackson, Zeno—they all piled on top of him, like a giant, boiling ball of flesh. Some were screaming, some were crying, and some were just pounding their fists on his chest.

After everyone dispersed, Roderick Craig hugged him tightly and shouted in his ear, "We won! We won!"

Daryl Dorra, the center who struggled throughout March Madness under the shadow of Oden and the Florida Twin Towers, was now in tears like a child, hugging Xu Ling tightly as if he wanted to meld him into his own body.

"You're the greatest player I've ever seen!" Dora roared incoherently. "Michael Jordan is nothing, you're greater than him!!!"

On the sidelines, Bob Knight, the old geezer, unusually tossed aside his tactical board. He raised his arms high, a smile on his face a mixture of ecstasy, relief, and pride. He turned and hugged his assistant coaches tightly, patting them hard on the back.

Meanwhile, the University of Florida's bench was deathly silent. Billy Donovan, his face ashen, stood there like a statue, watching his dynasty dream crumble before his eyes.

Noah lowered his head, covering his face with a towel to hide the tears in his eyes. Horford sat on the floor, staring blankly at the floor, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Brewer, the guy who accidentally missed the first penalty and then deliberately missed the second at the coach's instruction, was supported by his teammates and broke down in tears.

He believed it was all his fault.

If he hadn't missed the first free throw, the coach wouldn't have asked him to miss the second, and none of this would have happened.

Completely despondent, Donovan simply walked over to Brewer and gently patted the player on the shoulder: "Curry, lift your head, don't cry, it's not your fault. Whether you make the free throw or not, I'll make you miss the second one. They didn't call a timeout, that was the right decision."

“We just…” Donovan swallowed hard, “have to accept this outcome.”

The players of the University of Florida Alligators were heartbroken, and Donovan, looking at the team, felt an indescribable pain in his heart.

This is a great team, and they deserve to win back-to-back championships and achieve a dynasty like Duke in the 90s.

In this day and age, or rather, from this moment on, will there still be players who are locked in as the number one NBA draft pick and choose to return for another year because they don't want to leave school and their teammates? Will there still be multiple players with NBA draft prospects, or even lottery prospects, who stay in college to pursue consecutive championships simply because they don't want to leave each other? Will such things still happen?
Never again.

The awards ceremony began. The players took turns climbing the ladder and cutting down the basketball net, a symbol of victory, with scissors.

Finally, as Xu Ling stood on the ladder and cut the last piece of the net, the flashbulbs went off wildly throughout the arena. He put the net around his neck, then raised his hands to greet the audience. Today, he was the master of this court.

Subsequently, Xu Ling was unsurprisingly selected as the MOP (Most Outstanding Player) of the semifinals. Holding the trophy, he stood on the podium, facing the cameras of the world.

"To be honest, I had prepared a particularly touching acceptance speech," Xu Ling paused deliberately, "but Daryl just said that I am a greater player than Jordan."

Laughter and whistles erupted from the crowd.

"After a fierce internal struggle, I have decided to reluctantly accept this praise. If you have any objections, please let my MOP trophy know."

Thus, people finally discovered what this mysterious supernova had in common with his compatriot Yao Ming.

They are all very humorous.

Subsequently, Yao Ming, as a Texas superstar, was granted access to TTU's locker room and congratulated Texas Tech University on behalf of Houston.

This also gave Xu Ling the opportunity to speak with this legendary figure.

Although many great players are gradually forgotten after retirement, Yao Ming will never be forgotten in China. He was the first world superstar to emerge from the world of ball sports, and his influence on the new generation in China came after he became the chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Although the men's basketball team's performance was not good during his tenure, Yao Ming's promotion of mini-basketball and his vigorous organization of lower-level leagues made the competitions for lower age groups such as U8, U10, U11, and U12 mature, giving more people the opportunity to be exposed to semi-professional training and competition from a young age.

Xu Ling in his previous life was one of them; he can be considered one of the first beneficiaries of mini-basketball.

Standing before Yao Ming, Xu Ling, who is usually eloquent, was at a loss for words.

"I know you're awesome, but I really didn't know you were this awesome!" Yao Ming said. "Tonight's game was absolutely amazing!" "Oh, it's all thanks to my teammates' support that I was able to perform so well," Xu Ling said modestly.

"But seriously, that last shot of yours..." Yao Ming gestured exaggeratedly, "I was about to call an ambulance!"

“The ambulance should be called for those guys from Florida,” Xu Ling blinked. “I bet they’re crying in the locker room right now.”

The two exchanged a smile. Yao Ming suddenly became serious and asked, "What are your plans next? Are you going to participate in the draft?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead," Xu Ling said, glancing at his teammates who were celebrating wildly. "Right now, I just want to enjoy this moment. After all, opportunities to have you fly all the way here to watch my game are rare."

Yao Ming patted him on the shoulder: "Cherish these teammates. You won't find such pure brotherhood anywhere else in the NBA."

Xu Ling neither confirmed nor denied it; this was a fact.

If there was any factor that might have influenced his later decision, it was his teammates with whom he got along.

The revelry continued, with foam from drinks and mineral water splashed everywhere in the locker room. The players sang and danced, making a mess of the whiteboard. When Knight walked in, everyone suddenly fell silent, then erupted into an even louder cheer.

"Coach!" Xu Ling, soaking wet, held the basketball net he had just cut up. "This is for you."

Knight took the net and looked around. Every young face in the locker room radiated pure joy. He cleared his throat, his voice slightly choked: "Kids, this is the most special championship of my coaching career."

As he spoke, he held up the basketball net: "Not because this is another championship after many years, but because you guys have made me believe that miracles can always happen in basketball."

The locker room erupted in chaos once more. Craig pulled out a bottle of Coke from somewhere and sprayed it directly at Knight.

The old coach did not flinch, letting the drink soak through his sweater.

After what seemed like endless joy, Knight felt a sense of emptiness on his way back to the hotel.

He knew that all comedic sequels were tragedies.

Eli won't stay for a second season.

Next year, everything will be back to normal.

But so what? Texas Tech will forever revere the 2007 National Championship Cup as if it were a sacred deity.

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Sina Sports
Title: Chinese Youngster Makes a 1.1-Second Game-Winning Shot! Texas Tech Strikes a Major Upset to Win Championship

Author: Zhang Bo
Published: April 3, 2007

Atlanta – With 1.1 seconds remaining, Chinese player Xu Ling sank a long-range three-pointer from the logo area, giving Texas Tech an 84-82 victory over defending champions Florida, securing their first-ever NCAA championship. The 19-year-old scored 28 points and dished out 7 assists, hitting this historic game-winning shot in the final moments. Florida coach Billy Donovan remarked wryly, "This might just be fate." Meanwhile, Yao Ming, watching from the sidelines, shouted in Shanghainese, "Xu Ling! Awesome!"

Popular comments from netizens
@King of Intelligence in China:
"Xu Ling has become a legend in this game! Did you see that? That game-winning three-pointer that almost stepped on the logo at the end, even Jordan would kneel down! What is Florida University? The American media hyped it up for so long, but Xu Ling treated it like a toy! Anyone who doesn't draft Xu Ling in this year's NBA draft is blind! With Xu Ling on the Chinese men's basketball team, the Olympic gold medal is practically guaranteed!"

@Su Qun loves Yang Yi:
"Hilarious! Playing in the NCAA and he's already got cocky? 'Greater than Jordan'? Xu Ling's been flattered to death. Just wait and see, he'll be taught a lesson when he gets to the NBA!"

@I want Lin Chi-ling steamed buns:
"The upstairs comments are starting again? Xu Qiuwang's game-winning shot against the defending champion, what else can your master Oden do besides sticking his butt out and doing low-post isolation plays? And you call him the number one draft pick? Xu Qiuwang used his strength to slap the American media in the face, and the way some people are jumping up and down is really laughable!"

@Caring for my roommate Ma Jiajue:
"Xu Ling is indeed strong, but Daryl's comment was clearly an emotional outburst. However, the way some people are using this as an excuse is even more disgusting. They can't stand to see Chinese players do well, can they?"

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(End of this chapter)